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Pro Stock Motorcycle

You are here: Home / Archives for Pro Stock Motorcycle

Relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Katie Sullivan

March 22, 2016 //  by Horsepower & Heels

A relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcyle's Katie SullivanBeside the big sea of semi-rigs and stacker trailers, a smaller grassroots-style gooseneck trailer sits at the end of the PRO pit row.    The pit configuration is more fitting of the relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Katie Sullivan and her father-daughter team based out of Corning, California.   Sullivan, who at age 18 was the youngest female to ever qualify for and NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event, has been a steady face in the class ever since, working hard to make her Pro Stock Motorcycle dream a reality.

She began in the Junior Dragster ranks at the age of nine, quickly falling in love with the sport and earning herself one track championship, one runner-up, and numerous event wins in the junior ranks.   Around age 12, she fell in love watching motorcycles racing,  and knew she belonged on a drag bike.    That dream turned into a reality shortly after her 16th birthday.    Her first year on a drag bike, she appeared in 5 finals and qualified number 1 at numerous events.  But at the age of 17, she suffered a devastating knee injury while playing high school basketball, that sidelined her racing.

Determined to come back to her motorcycle, she spent hours in physical therapy with the goal to climb back on the bike and resume her racing career.   Once she was able to overcome the injury, she quickly set her sights on becoming the youngest female to ever qualify in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle.    At 18, just days after her high school graduation, Katie was able to accomplish her goal of qualifying for an NHRA national event.  She became just the seventh female to do so in the class, and even earned her first round win against her childhood idol, Karen Stoffer in her first professional start.

Katie Sullivan's Pro Stock Motorcycle in the pitsIn 2009, Katie and Charlie purchased their own Pro Stock Motorcycle, embarking on their own program which has allowed Katie the flexibility to finish her college education and handling her full-time responsibilities for her two own businesses:  Kalifornia Katie’s Trailer Sales and Tough Girl Designs.   Though she would love to be out on the tour full-time, the fun and family-focused relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Katie Sullivan has been very rewarding for her personally.   The duo spend their time together traveling on the road to races, and working on the bike during the evening hours when home.   Though it may be a lot of hard work for the small team, and can be especially tiring when returning to a full-time job at home, Katie says her heart is in NHRA PSM racing, as evident by her persistent smile.    At the track, she enjoys interacting with the fans in a more relaxed and friendly setting, and takes time to help inspire kids by allowing them to be up close to her PSM bike, even sitting them on the seat for photos.

2016 Gatornationals

Katie and her dad Charlie made the over 40 hour and 2,900 mile haul from their northern California home base to Gainesville, Florida for the 47th annual Amalie Motor Oils NHRA Gatornationals, the Pro Stock Motorcycle (PSM) class season opening event.   Last season, they attended 5 events total –  Charlotte, Denver, Sonoma, Las Vegas and Pomona – finishing 23rd out of 39 drivers in the class at the end of the year.  They made a few changes over the off-season on her Suzuki PSM and were ready to get started in Katie’s eighth professional PSM season of racing in Gainesville.

Checking the dataBut the family encountered some unexpected issues in qualifying.   In the opening round, Katie made it about 400 feet out before having to abort, coasting to an 11.695 at 68.94 mph.   Round two saw her launch stray towards the wall, resulting in another aborted run of 12.132 at 63.73 mph.   In round three, she made her best pass of the weekend, running a 7.136 at 187.26 mph, moving her from the bottom of the ladder to the No. 23 position.    Between rounds, the team had made some changes to the carburetors looking to improve, but something went wrong in the linkages after the burnout, and while trying to stage the bike for her final attempt to get into the field, the idle refused to come down.   NHRA shut the bike down for safety, and Katie would not qualify for the Gatornationals this year, ending up in the No. 25 spot.

Undiscouraged, she plans to try again at the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte later in April.   They will regroup and come up with a game plan to pick back up and improve their efforts.   Always mindful of their limited resources, they arranged to house the bike with a fellow competitor on the east coast to avoid another pair of cross-country hauls.  Though she has yet to earn her first event victory, she’s having fun and to her, that’s just as rewarding.

Best of luck to “Kalifornia” Katie Sullivan!

 

 

Category: Driver Features, Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Katie Sullivan, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

Mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey

March 22, 2016 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey in Gainesville
Photo: Star Racing

 Angelle Sampey was fresh off a near-perfect test session with her brand new Star Racing Buell NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle entering the 47th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.   The three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion posted her career-best ET on the new bike in only the second pass of testing.  As they arrived at Gainesville Raceway, the Star Racing team showed plenty of confidence in the new program.    But mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey meant the team had plenty of hard work on their hands for the duration of the weekend.   She made the field, but would not have the season opening event she had hoped for, exiting early in the first round of eliminations.

Mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey plague qualifying

The very first session, Angelle would launch hard, but something went amiss on the bike, and by half track she was coasting to an 8.629 at 98.03 mph effort.   Star Racing team owner, George Bryce, took it back to the pits and discovered that the engine had expired in 4th gear.   That left them swapping engines between rounds.

Round two, Angelle was able to get it down the track, and jumped up the ladder with a 6.854 second E.T. at 192.44 mph.   It was good enough to get her the provisional No. 4 position, but the back-up engine also had issues at the lights.

Angelle made it to high gear before we tossed a pushrod out,” said Bryce after the run. “Still went 6.85, we where down 5 MPH, as she coasted through.”

This meant engine number three for Angelle, and the Star Racing team was back to work in the pits, preparing for the third round of qualifying on Saturday afternoon.   Sampey, who had maintained the provisional No. 4 qualifying position entering the third round, would complete her burnout and begin to stage when the starter spotted fluid coming from the bike – an oil leak, and shut her down.

After taking care of the oil leak, Angelle and her Star team would have one last qualifying attempt to try and gain some data on the track and the swap to back up engine #3.   Sitting at the back of staging awaiting her final qualifying pass, a few in front of her would bump her down the ladder a few spots.    She would take the line in the No. 7 position, and would get down the track with a 6.847 at 195.70 mph pass, enough to push her up to the No. 5 final qualifying position.    The pass was the third-quickest run of the round, giving her 1 additional bonus qualifying point.

Seeing Red in Eliminations

With a secure spot in the top half of the eliminations ladder, Sampey would face No. 12 Jim Underdahl in the opening round on Sunday.   She had lane choice, and entered the round calm and confident on the bike.   But unfortunately, the dreaded red light came on for Angelle by just -0.002 thousandths of a second, handing the win to Underdahl.  She would post a 6.956-second pass at 197.19 mph.

The bike bogged at the launch,” said Sampey. “I have to tell you, I don’t know what else I could’ve done differently. I did everything like I usually do and I can’t believe it went red. After I launched, it bogged so bad it almost died. We’re thinking that contributed to why it went red.”

An early exit was a big disappointment to Angelle and the PSE/Star Racing team, but Sampey knows the team made a lot of progress, although they did not experience the successes they were hoping for.

George Bryce confirmed that the red light was due more to mechanical difficulties for Angelle Sampey and not driver error.

“We got beat and outrun,” said Bryce of the first round loss.   “I missed the clutch tune up, the clutch did not slip at all.  A Pro Stock motorcycle must have clutch slip at the launch.   When Angelle popped the clutch the bike just reacted too quick AND the engine bogged 2800 RPM. I try to get it to 600 to 700 rpm bog.  Of course all of that “helped” her go -.002 red light.   She was very calm and confident and the starting line, 1st round but, when the engine almost choked off, it took so long to recover.  The time for the quarter mile took too long, 6.95 instead of the time it should have run.   Good news is she still ran over 197 MPH on that bogging run.”

Sampey didn’t let it keep her down long though.  She knows that they are working out some early issues and is ready to get to the next event to pick back up and show the field what they are truly capable of doing in the class.

“I feel I was lucky to be No. 5 with all the trouble we had with the engines in qualifying.   It’s the first race of the season and I’m riding a brand new motorcycle. It’s the first race back with two bikes and we’re trying to learn. It was a productive weekend even though it wasn’t a successful weekend by our standards.”

Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors watch out, Angelle and the Star Racing team is coming for them.   The next race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class will be the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina April 22-24, 2016.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

Angelle Sampey ready for the Gatornationals

March 15, 2016 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Angelle Sampey ready for the GatornationalsNHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran and the winningest female in all of motorsports, Angelle Sampey is fresh off a successful test session and ready for the 47th Annual Amalie Motor Oils Gatornationals.

The Gatornationals marks the season opener, and first of 16 events for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.   Angelle Sampey is no stranger to the Gainesville, Florida racetrack, having made her way to the finals four times in her career, taking the event win in 1999, 2003, and 2006.  The 3x time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion returned from retirement briefly in 2014, before returning full-time in 2015 after her recovery from a pit-related accident in 2014 ended her return prematurely.

I’m very very excited,” said Sampey. “I can’t wait to get back on. I’m nervous but not a worried nervous. It’s more of an excited and anxious nervous.”

For 2016, Angelle and teammate Cory Reed will debut new Precision Service Equipment/Star Racing Buells for competition.   After not feeling 100% comfortable with her bike last season, the new bike was custom fitted to her, and the Star Racing team has worked hard during the off-season to prepare for a championship run in 2016.

Angelle Sampey excited after her career best ETThe Americus, Georgia based Star Racing team took the new bikes to South Georgia Motorsports Park for some test passes.

I’ve been training hard and I’ve got a brand new motorcycle. I haven’t had a brand new motorcycle in a long time and they build this bike to fit me and nobody else.”

After a brief introduction by Star Racing owner, George Bryce, to her brand new motorcycle, Angelle was pleased and wasted no time in getting down to business putting the new bike through the paces.   The veteran champ showed confidence on the motorcycle pulling into the waterbox, through the first burnout and in staging.   The very first pass down the racetrack, Angelle posted a 6.86 second, followed by a career-best 6.826 @ 197.57 mph in just the second ever pass on the brand new motorcycle.   The Star Racing team and Angelle Sampey are ready for the Gatornationals!

Angelle Sampey |  Career-Best ET in Gatornational Testing  [VIDEO]

 

Second run in the books and its low ET again!! 6.826 @ 197.57 mph!!!! And We still have room for improvement! #Angelle#StarRacing

Posted by Angelle Sampey on Monday, March 14, 2016

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

Victory Motorcycle driver Angie Smith eager to return

December 14, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Victory Motorcycle driver Angie Smith ready for 2016Victory Motorcycle driver Angie Smith is eager to return to NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition in 2016.   The husband-wife power team of Angie and Matt Smith introduced the Victory Motorcycle brand to the NHRA Mellow Yellow drag racing series competition this season, after Victory began looking for a way to get into the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class in late 2014.   They met with a handful of teams before settling on the championship-winning pair.

Tough transition for Victory Motorcycle driver Angie Smith

But pioneering a new build and combination isn’t without its difficulties and challenges, as the team worked hard to develop the new Victory Pro Stock Motorcycle program.    Angie struggled early in the season with the aerodynamics of the new smaller fairing on the Victory race-prototypes.   At one of the first test sessions with the new bike, the team discovered that the Victory’s smaller fairing proVictory Motorcycle Angie Smith duced much higher wind resistance, with Angie’s hand actually blowing off the handlebars on one of her early runs, overpowering her slight build.  She kept control and stayed on the bike, but her confidence suffered.

An NHRA-approved midseason adjustment to the bodywork alleviated some of the wind resistance that the team was fighting, also helping to put the Victory more on par to the other manufacturers in the class in performance and speed.

“It took a while to get my confidence back,” she said. “But toward the end of the season, I was doing a lot better. I think in 2016 we’re going to be really, really good.”

As the season progressed, so did the confidence of Angie Smith.    She began the season at the bottom of the Pro Stock Motorcycle ladder, with a DNQ at the 4-wide Nationals and 7 total #16 qualifying starts.    But midseason, during the Western swing, their tireless efforts would begin to turn around, netting her a #11 qualified position for the Bandimere event and a season-best #8 effort in Maple Grove.

We are 100 percent behind this deal,” Angie said. “There’s no 9-to-5, 40-hour work week. We’ve been putting in all of out time to make this program better because we want to make Victory happy and we want to be happy as racers. We want this partnership with Victory Motorcycles to last a lifetime. We want to get as many people as we can riding Victory Motorcycles. The best way to do that is win because that shows everyone how great these motorcycles are.”

Though she encountered a rocky start in 2015, Smith is no novice to the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks.   Angie is one of just 15 women in NHRA’s 64-year history to claim a national event trophy, and her crew chief/husband Matt says she will be adding to her career total in 2016.

She’s come a long way over the last couple of years,” he said. “The 2015 season was kind of a setback for her, mainly because of how the wind affects her on the Victory. She’ll be a lot better in 2016. We’ve just got to get her some more laps. She’ll be good next year.”

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angie Smith, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

Valerie Thompson returns to NHRA

November 9, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels


Valerie Thompson 2016 PSM NHRA

Seven-time land speed record holder Valerie Thompson returns to NHRA Drag Racing competition to compete in the full season as an independent team owner and driver.   Thompson will be riding a Star Racing built Pro Stock Motorcycle in all of the events on the schedule for the PSM class.   The team will be led by recently appointed crew chief, Chris Rivas,  a former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer with four NHRA event wins and six land speed racing world records of his own.

“Chris Rivas has been successful in drag racing while setting new land speed records. As a crew chief, he will be one of my biggest assets. He understands the difference between quarter-mile and land speed racing, so he can help our team with everything from bike set-up to my riding technique as I transition back to drag racing,” added Thompson.

Valerie Thompson began her motorcycle-racing career in the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA), where she finished third in the V-Rod Destroyer class in 2007 and was featured in a Super Bowl commercial with Danica Patrick.  She entered several NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle events in 2008, with a best elapsed time of 7.05 seconds.

“I have a real passion for land speed racing, but I can’t express how excited I am to return to my ‘racing roots’ with a bike built by George Bryce’s Star Racing team. George and his wife Jackie, operate one of the most successful NHRA Pro Stock motorcycle teams in the history of the sport, so I’m confident we will do well next year,” said Thompson.

Star Racing and owner George Bryce have won six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships and collected 80 different NHRA national event wins under their 10 different Star riders.    The high performance motorcycle company is also a worldwide mail-order parts business, with engine building, a state-of-the-art machine shop and dyno services.

“I’m delighted to see Valerie returning to drag racing and thankful she chose Star Racing to help her new team. We are also looking forward to working with Chris Rivas again,” said George Bryce, Star Racing owner.

While Valerie Thompson returns to NHRA and is excited for the homecoming, she also plans on continuing the quest for new land speed racing records with her team’s BMW S 1000 RR at select events in 2016 as her schedule permits.

Thompson formed her own land speed racing team in 2012, and has went on to record a personal best top speed of 217 mph at the 2014 Texas Mile. This year, Valerie became the first female member of the Colorado Mile 200 MPH Club on her Quicksilver Powersports Lubricants/CTEK BMW Motorrad and is now a member of six-land speed racing 200 MPH Clubs, including the prestigious Bonneville 200 MPH Club. As a result, she is often referred to as “America’s Queen of Speed.”

The 2016 NHRA schedule includes 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle events with the first scheduled for March 17 – 20 at the Gatornationals in Gainesville Florida.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Valerie Thompson, Women Racing

D.R.A.W. Awards Angelle Sampey

November 9, 2015 //  by Kelly Morris

Angelle Sampey DRAW awardThe ladies of the Drag Racing Association of Women (D.R.A.W.) presented the People Of The Year Award to NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angelle Sampey on Saturday October 31, 2015 at the Las Vegas Strip.

“I don’t feel like I deserve this award but I am so honored and blessed to receive it!! I was so shocked when the awesome ladies of D.R.A.W. Presented it to me here at the Las Vegas Strip.”  – Angelle Sampey

D.R.A.W. – Fast Help for Fast Friends

Angelle Sampey wins Person of the Year award from DRAWThe Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW) is a non-profit organization that provides financial and emotional support to qualified individuals involved in drag racing accidents at a track. From 1985 through 2014, DRAW has helped 799 racing families and provided a total of $4,055,442 in financial assistance.

A year ago, after Angelle suffered a season-ending injury to her achilles tendon,  D.R.A.W. was able to give her assistance financially to help her and her family through the experience.

Sampey donated the helmet worn in Pro Stock Motorcycle competition all season long in 2015 to the organization for a future fundraising auction.   As she says today “they truly are, Fast Help For The Fast Friends.”

Source: Angelle Sampey, Facebook

Category: Heel ClicksTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

New Jersey event sponsor for Angelle Sampey

June 3, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Angelle SampeyNHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle driver Angelle Sampey and her Star Racing team just announced a new event sponsor for the upcoming 46th Annual NHRA Toyota Summernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey.  Platinum General Construction Services joined the Star Racing team as an event sponsor after owner Ralphie Navarro visited the three-time world champion’s new crowd-funding program, JoinTeamAngelle.com a sponsorship initiative for fans to get involved with the team.

With sponsorship through the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign, Platinum General Construction Services will have its logo featured on Sampey’s Star Racing motorcycle during the event. Other perks include pit uniforms for Platinum General Construction Services staff members, meet-and-greet time with Sampey and the Star Racing team and tickets to all sessions of the Toyota Summer Nationals event.

When I first saw the opportunity that Star Racing and Angelle were offering through the JoinTeamAngelle.com website, I knew right away that it would be a great fit for us because it offers affordable access to a major sponsorship with benefits our staff can enjoy,” said Mr. Navarro. “I’ve been looking for a special event opportunity to share with our staff. We have a great team of people who do such a terrific job every day, and the chance to share a weekend of NHRA racing with the Star Racing team is one I couldn’t pass up. Plus, I’ve been a big fan of Angelle over the years. She’s a true superstar in this sport. Star Racing is one of the all-time great teams in NHRA, and this was an opportunity for me to be able to step up and make a difference for them.”

Employee Hospitality

Select employees of the New Jersey-based Platinum General Construction Services company will get the opportunity to experience the activities at the Toyota Summer Nationals event. Star Racing will be hosting the Platinum General Construction Services staff in the team’s pit area, and they will have the opportunity to see what takes place behind the scenes as Sampey and the Star team prepare to race.

What makes this event sponsorship with Star Racing and JoinTeamAngelle.com so special is that they are going to be sharing time with us and taking us inside their racing operation,” said Mr. Navarro. “I want to compliment Star Racing on the JoinTeamAngelle.com program because it offers our company a number of advantages through our sponsorship. This type of opportunity is totally unique and I would encourage other smaller or mid-sized companies to visit JoinTeamAngelle.com. Platinum General Construction Services is proud to be a part of Team Angelle, and we are counting the hours until we get to the track.”

Star Racing team owner George Bryce was able to put together a custom program that fit the needs of Navarro’s company.

Quite obviously, we are thrilled that Raphie Navarro and Platinum General Construction Services will be joining us through the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign at the Toyota Summer Nationals as an event sponsor.  When Ralphie contacted us about what he had in mind to celebrate the work of his staff, we immediately began working with him on designing an event sponsor package that would create a meaningful and memorable experience for his company. We want to salute Ralphie as a sponsor and as a business owner who sincerely cares about his staff. One of the advantages we have with the JoinTeamAngelle.com campaign is that we can customize sponsor packages for an event, a series of events or the entire season.”

Approaching Crowd Funding Goal

The JoinTeamAngelle.com fan sponsorship drive has continued to gain momentum since the program debuted in mid-May during the NHRA Atlanta Dragway event. Currently at the 70% threshold, the campaign is on-track to reach its initial $30,000 goal in its first 30 days.

It’s been quite gratifying and quite humbling to see the response we have received in the first couple of weeks following the announcement and debut of JoinTeamAngelle.com,” said Mr. Bryce. “We have seen our fans engaged in ways that I’ve not seen in my 40 years in racing. Through the website, fans are watching our videos, reading our blogs and getting a sense of what happens on the inside of a racing team. We’ve also seen small and mid-sized businesses approach us concerning sponsorships that are financially reachable and provide value for their organizations. The campaign has given our team tremendous momentum and we are excited about the possibilities for the season.”

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

Karen Stoffer out first round in Atlanta

May 17, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

An early exit for Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran, Karen Stoffer at the 35th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Georgia this weekend.   Stoffer, who is still running a limited schedule due to lack of sponsorship, started the weekend off well in qualifying but was just too aggressive off the line, losing at the tree on Sunday.

Karen Stoffer out 1st round in Atlanta
Photo: NHRA

All-female opening round

During qualifying, the 2015 Gatornationals winner was able to post an impressive 6.875 second elapsed time at 195.59 mph, earning her the top qualifier position.   The pole marked Karen Stoffer’s third career No. 1, and the first this season.  This would pair her first round against No. 16 qualifier, Angie Smith.   Though Stoffer carried the advantage entering the first round of eliminations, a 7-0 record over Smith, she was a touch too early off the starting line, turning on the red light and handing the win to Angie.   Karen left 0.002 seconds before the tree, a false start making her 6.861 second 195.3 mph pass invalid.   Meanwhile, Angie would have trouble down track, running a slower but winning 7.199 second E.T. at 162.98 mph.

Seeking Sponsorship: Help Karen Stoffer

Karen entered Atlanta Dragway No. 3 in points, but is still lacking sponsorship to put together a full-schedule.  Despite her position in the championship points chase, she is unsure of where her “limited schedule” will take her for the 2015 season.   The team is still aggressively seeking marketing partners to secure a full-time schedule.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Drag Racing, Karen Stoffer, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

Join Team Angelle

May 16, 2015 //  by Horsepower & Heels

Star Racing and three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Angelle Sampey just announced a crowd funding fan sponsorship campaign called Join Team Angelle designed to provide fans with unique opportunities to get closer to the action and the inner workings of the drag racing team. Today at the 35th Annual Summit Racing NHRA Southern Nationals, Star Racing team owner George Bryce and Angelle Sampey-Drago, the winningest female motorsport athlete in history held a press conference at the Atlanta Dragway to share the details of the new campaign.

Join Team AngelleJoin Team Angelle

The team announced that through a new website JoinTeamAngelle.com, visitors will have access to latest news and behind-the-scenes perspectives from Sampey and Bryce, through team blogs, YouTube videos and social media posts from the track, the shop and testing grounds.    JoinTeamAngelle.com also allows fans a chance to get involved in the action, with details on sponsorship opportunities that have been designed to deliver enhanced access to the team and one-of-a-kind collectables from Team Angelle and Star Racing.

When I was asked to return to the NHRA circuit last year by George and Jackie Bryce of Star Racing, the overpowering pull that ultimately brought me back to the track was my connection with our fans. At Star Racing, we believe that the time has arrived to change the dynamics involved with funding a race team. Through this campaign, we are striving to provide our fans with opportunities to enjoy unmatched experiences,” said Sampey.

One of the crowd favorites, Angelle regularly interacts with fans online and at the track between rounds, sharing information about her life on the road, her family and other interesting aspects of her colorful personality.   Faced with an uncertain future in funding of her program, she was bombarded by fans who wanted the opportunity to help.

Over my more than 40 years in racing, I’ve lost count of how many fans I’ve met who have a deep love for our sport and also have the desire to get as close as they possibly can to it. The passion people have for our sport and the support our fans continually provide for our Star Racing Team continues to amaze me,” said Bryce. “Those fans who become members of Team Angelle will have access to unique experiences that promise to bring fans closer to our team in a significant way.”

From a $100 Join Team Angelle membership to event sponsorships of $7,500 and above,  the crowd funding program offers a range of options which seek to provide fans with memorable benefits. The team has structured its sponsorship levels to place experiences within reach of fans and it has also designed the upper-level sponsorships packages with smaller and mid-sized businesses in mind.

Through the success of this campaign, we believe that we will consistently race to the Winner’s Circle and we will be in the hunt for the Championship this season,” said Sampey. “We also believe the time has arrived to give fans the opportunity to see the inner workings of a NHRA team. The packages we are offering to our fans as memberships have been designed to provide unique experiences that will take our fans behind the ropes of our race operation.”

There is no doubt that Angelle has what it takes to return to the winner’s circle and capture the winningest driver in the class, a feat she trails by 4 wins.    She has already overcome a season-ending injury late last year, powering through rehabilitation and training to return to the bike in time for the season opening Pro Stock bike race.   Since her return from retirement, there has been a different vibe surrounding her team.  The vibe is a more personal feeling, a closer connection to fans that may be attributed to the old adage, “absence only makes the heart grow fonder”.     Her long awaited homecoming has been a treasure appreciated on both sides.

I’ve been in winner’s circle and held the championship trophy many times in my career, but our success this year promises to be the sweetest one of all. This year, we will have a special opportunity to share our victories in the most meaningful of ways with our fans,” said Bryce.

Watch Angelle and George’s Announcement

For more information on the fan sponsorship campaign, visit JoinTeamAngelle.com.

Category: Women in Racing NewsTag: Angelle Sampey, Drag Racing, NHRA, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Women Racing

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